After the start, Fenati did not take futile risks in the early fight and focused on race pace, having chosen medium tyres. He aimed at the top-three and, one lap after another, he passed Khairuddin, Olivera, Rins and Folger, chasing Viñales, Salom and Cortese. Tyre wear did not allow the Italian to complete the job and, with two laps to go, Oliveira and Folger got past him. Viñales crash during the last lap mixed things up on the podium, but Fenati closed in fifth position, 7 tenths of a second behind Folger.
Alessandro Tonucci gave a solid performance, scoring points once again. After a difficult start, which saw him in 20th position from 13th on the grid, he passed hiw way into the Top 15 during the last lap.
Salom won the race ahead of Cortese.
Romano Fenati (Team Italia FMI FTR Honda#5) 5th, + 3"664
"Racing in Indianapolis was an emotional experience. At the start I got stuck in the middle of the pack, losing contact with the top three. The tyre choice helped me to climb back and post the fastest lap, but towards the end I had no grip left and didn't want to take too many risks. We consolidated the fourth place in the championship, where we still lead among the rookies. Next week-end we head to Brno, where I never raced before, and it looks like a hybrid between Mugello, Misano and Jerez, so I think I can do well."
Alessandro Tonucci (Team Italia FMI FTR Honda#19) 15th, + 34"179
"I got off a bad start and made a mistake during lap 7 that made me lose the rhythm a bit. I couldn't make up the lost ground with the front runners, but climbed back to score a point. The bike worked well, I only needed a little bit more rear grip to do better. I know Brno well and I'm confident I can do well there."
Roberto Locatelli (FMI Technical Coordinator)
"It's been a great result for the whole team, having both riders in the Top 15. Fenati posted the fastest lap during the race (1'48.648) and was the fastest Honda on track (230.8 km/h). We also learned a lot, especially in terms of being more proactive in the early phases of the race. In Brno we'll grow further, both from a sports and technical perspective."
Team Italia FMI Press Release
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